TTSR 30

Chapter 30

The first thing she noticed was a cool, refreshing scent—like the night sea. Then came the warm heat that prickled at her nerves, tense and on edge.

In this room, the only one who could reach her with such a seductive scent and warmth… was Tenus.

“……”

Selachia clenched her teeth inwardly while doing her best to pretend to be asleep.

That crazy bastard. Did he secretly have some perverted taste for touching people while they slept?

You’d never imagine it, looking at his neat and intelligent face. Her head, which had been tangled with all kinds of thoughts, suddenly cleared as though dunked in cold seawater.

She decided that the moment he crossed the line, she would not tolerate it. Her senses sharpened. Fortunately, her dagger, wiped clean of blood, was within reach on the nightstand. If she moved fast enough to grab it, she had a good chance.

Selachia waited for the right moment.

“……”

Time passed in a way that felt like eternity. Yet there was no contact whatsoever.

Tenus’s hand only hovered near her clothes. His warmth reached her only through the fabric; not once did his skin touch hers—not even by accident.

It was an extremely cautious touch. It didn’t feel like he was touching her at all… more like he was checking something.

…Checking what?

Then, Tenus let out a quiet sigh.

“Haa.”

It wasn’t a heated, lustful sigh. It felt more peaceful… almost desperate. Like a person who had finally reached land after nearly drowning at sea.

“……”

The sound of the blanket rustling followed. He gently tucked the blanket around her, then quietly left the room.

Click.

As soon as the door closed, Selachia’s eyes shot open.

“…What was that?”

Why did he act like that? Instinctively, she brushed her arm—goosebumps were rising.

Was the pain in her injured wrist so bad that she’d lost her mind?

She tried to recall. Since she usually slept deeply, she had no way of knowing if Tenus had done this kind of thing every night.

But one thing she did remember was the constant fatigue etched on his face whenever she saw him. That was unmistakably the face of someone who wasn’t getting much sleep.

“So, he does this every night?”

Selachia glanced at the empty space beside her. His lingering scent still tickled her nose.

* * *

Tenus didn’t return to the bedroom until the sun had completely pushed out the night’s darkness.

In the end, Selachia stayed up all night. It had been a long time since she’d had a sleepless night.

“Did you… sleep well, my lady?”

Nancy, who came into the bedroom late that morning, couldn’t even look Selachia in the eye. Normally, she would have fussed over how pale Selachia’s face looked. But now, even her greeting, spoken while brushing Selachia’s hair, felt stiff and unfamiliar.

“Did you sleep well too, Nancy?”

“Huh? Ah, y-yes…”

Nancy lowered her head deeply. Her hunched shoulders and shaky voice reminded Selachia of the first day they met.

Selachia silently watched Nancy’s round crown reflected in the mirror. Nancy seemed too nervous to bring anything up herself. It might be better for Selachia to bring up the idea of replacing her as personal maid.

She was wondering when to say it—when she suddenly felt a piercing gaze.

Roberta was staring at Selachia with particularly sparkling eyes. As soon as their eyes met, Roberta burst out with excitement, like she’d been waiting all along.

“I heard what happened yesterday! You were incredible! When did you even hide that dagger under your dress? To pull it out in that situation—such bravery! Are you interested in swords? How skilled are you? Who taught you? Were they from the capital?”

Roberta stepped forward. Taken aback by her energy, Selachia leaned back slightly.

“L-Lady Belfona, calm down.”

“What do you mean? I’m perfectly calm. As a knight, I don’t lose composure. Now, tell me—who is your sword master? Can I meet them?”

“He was my tutor… but he’s retired now and living quietly in his estate. More importantly—who told you about yesterday?”

Roberta clicked her tongue in disappointment and replied.

“Everyone in the mansion is talking about last night. Even the rats in the basement probably know by now.”

“Ugh…” Selachia held her forehead.

Her goal had been to stay under the radar until her departure, but now that plan was completely ruined. She worried about the attention she’d attract in the coming days.

For a moment, she even considered punishing Aldritch severely for what he did. But that thought quickly passed. Punishing a mere servant was one thing, but putting a duke’s proxy on trial was something else entirely.

If she wanted to leave quietly, it was best to endure.

“My lady, have you ever trained in duels?”

Roberta showed no resentment toward the previous day’s events. On the contrary, her normally half-dead eyes now sparkled with vitality and admiration.

Selachia didn’t know why, but she decided to respond sincerely.

“Not really. I’m not skilled enough to face someone with a sword. Like I said yesterday, I can only barely protect myself in a life-or-death moment.”

“That’s not enough. We don’t know when another terrifying event like yesterday might happen! So, my lady, how about learning swordsmanship from me?”

Roberta’s eyes gleamed. They weren’t filled with worry—they looked obsessed.

While Selachia hesitated, stunned, Nancy’s brushing hand came to a stop.

“I want to learn!”

Suddenly, Nancy raised her hand, still holding the comb.

“…Nancy?”

“Would it be possible… for you to teach me, Sir Knight?”

Nancy clasped her hands together and looked at Roberta. Her face was filled with genuine passion for swordsmanship.

Selachia instantly realized this was the chance she’d been waiting for.

“Do you want to become a knight, Nancy? Then you’d have to stop being my personal maid…”

“Huh? What do you mean, my lady?”

Nancy turned her head from Roberta to Selachia. Her large eyes filled with tears in an instant.

“You’re trying to cast me aside, aren’t you? Please don’t! I’ll do better!”

Thud—before Selachia could stop her, Nancy dropped to her knees and pleaded at her feet. Selachia tried to lift her up, but Nancy stubbornly resisted.

“Nancy, why are you acting like this? Get up!”

“I was supposed to protect you, but I failed. I’m your only personal maid… and I couldn’t help you because I’m useless.”

“Nancy…”

“I didn’t know Sophie would do something like that. She taught me how to style hair and tidy clothes every day. She wasn’t that kind of person…”

Choking on her tears, Nancy rambled incoherently. Selachia quietly embraced her trembling shoulders.

“You shared a room with Sophie, right? You must have been close… Do you resent me? Because of me, Sophie, well… ended up that way.”

Nancy threw herself into Selachia’s arms, shaking her head violently.

“It doesn’t feel good… but the one who was wrong was Sophie. She falsely accused an innocent lady. I know you would never do something like that.”

Judging by her shaky voice and the strength in her arms, Nancy clearly had no intention of quitting her job.

Selachia’s stiff expression finally relaxed.

“You’re really dedicated, Nancy.”

“I can do better! So please don’t fire me, my lady. Please?”